Biorgraphy

Mary Jo Ammon is employed by A.E. Wright Middle School in their media center. She attended the State University of New York, Buffalo and earned a Bachelor's degree in Theater & Communications. She has served as President of the Calabasas High School PFC and A.E. Wright Middle School PFC.[1]

2013

Mary Jo Ammon ran against four other candidates for three seats in the general election on November 5, 2013.[2]

Election results

On November 5, 2013, Lesli Stein, Angela Cutbill and Mary Jo Ammon were elected to the Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education.However, Dallas B. Lawrence received the most votes from Westlake Village, a precinct that counts its votes separately, and finished 3rd in the election.

Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education, General Election, 2013

Funding

Ammon did not report any contributions or expenditures to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

Endorsements

Mary Jo Ammon received official endorsements from all current LVUSD Board members, the mayors of Westlake Village, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, and Hidden Hills. Her full list of endorsements is available on her campaign website.[3]

What was at stake?

Three at-large seats were up for election on November 5, 2013, including the seats of the President and Board Clerk. Incumbent President Lesli Stein filed seeking re-election.

Issues

Implementation of Common Core

$2.2 million was awarded to Las Virgenes Unified School District in order to prepare for the implementation of Common Core. The district may spend on teacher training, technology and instructional materials before the Common Core takes effect in 2014. Some parents in the district are concerned because the STAR system of pupil evaluation had been used to determine placement into honors and advanced programs in the district. Assistant Superintendent Mary Schillinger said "Given the short runway for gearing up to the Common Core State Standards, and the significant shifts in the focus of the new standards, transition needs to begin this year. This cannot fully occur if there continues to be accountability to the current standards and STAR. Doing away with STAR in math, English/language arts, and social studies gives the green light for implementation of the common core state standards and the associated shifts in instruction."[4]

About the district

Las Virgenes School District is located in Western Los Angeles County, California in Calabasas, California. It is located in the largest county in California. According to the 2010 Census, it is home to 23,058 residents.[5]

Demographics

Calabasas outperforms the rest of California when measured on the basis of median household income, percentage of residents living below the poverty level, percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a high school diploma, and percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a Bachelor's degree. The median household income in Calabasas was $118,182 compared to $61,632 for the state of California. 64.8% of Calabasas residents aged 25 years and older attained a bachelor's degree compared to 30.2% in California. The US Census also showed the poverty rate in Calabasas was 6.5% compared to 14.4% for the entire state. The US Census also found that 97.1% of Calabasas residents aged 25 years and older attained a high school degree compared to a 80.8% in California.[7]